Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid to join Juventus
Real Madrid confirmed the news on Tuesday in a club statement.
Ronaldo is said to have agreed a four-year contract that will see him pocket €30 million (£26.5m/$35m) per season and Madrid have since confirmed that they have allowed him to make the move to Turin in a transfer expected to be worth upwards of €100m (£88m/$117m).
Real Madrid would like to communicate that we have listened to the wish and request expressed by player Cristiano Ronaldo and have agreed to his transfer to Juventus FC, the Champions League holders said in a statement.
The reigning Ballon d'Or winner who is set to end his nine-year spell at the Bernabeu is the club's all-time leading goal scorer, and has lead them to four Champions League titles -- including three in the last four seasons and also claimed a host of personal accolades and records from his time in Spain including four of his five Ballon d'Or awards.
Ronaldo in a statement issued through Real Madrid called his time in the Spanish capital as "the happiest years of my life."
These years at Real Madrid and in this city of Real Madrid have quite possibly be the happiest years of my life, he wrote.
I only have feelings of great gratitude to this club, to the fans and to the city. I can only give thanks to all of them for the love and affection that I have received.
However, I feel that the time has come to begin a new stage of my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept my transfer. I feel it this way and I am asking everyone, and especially my fans, to please understand me.
Ronaldo will be tasked with bringing Champions League glory back to Serie A champions Juventus, who have been runners-up in two of the past four seasons.
Ronaldo's Madrid contract, which had three years left to run, is worth significantly less than those of his fellow superstars -- Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar -- despite the Portugal captain helping Madrid extend their record haul of European Cup triumphs to 13.
However, despite Ronaldo's deal having an official release clause of €1 billion, Madrid were reportedly willing to accept an offer worth 10 percent of that sum in order to free up space and capital to replenish their successful but ageing squad under new coach Julen Lopetegui.
Ronaldo, became a global superstar status after becoming the world's most expensive player when he joined Madrid from Manchester United in 2009.
During his nine-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo won 15 trophies, including two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey crowns. The period also saw him become the club's top scorer with a remarkable 451 goals in 438 games.
He helped Madrid to La Decima in the Champions League final with Atletico Madrid in 2014 and played a crucial role in Los Blancos winning the competition in each of the last three seasons.
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